Another blast from the past today with a visit to Brooklands, the first purpose built racetrack in the world. It also developed into a booming aviation hub, so it’s a museum well worth visiting. There are numerous buildings scattered over the site, enclosed by the banked concrete track.

The concrete track is in pretty poor condition, and a large area has been converted to a car park for shopping at a superstore, or racetrack for Mercedes World. There was lots of driver training going on.

For the most part the old garages still exist, containing a large number of vehicles. Motor racing was in its infancy, so they are set out like stables and the drivers wore coloured silks to be easily identified.

The vehicles ranged from early race cars, land speed record holders and from Brooklands Golden Interwar era, when it’s slogan was “The right crowd, and no crowding”.

On the aviation side there are numerous outdoor exhibits, including Concorde. You can board most of them. Inside various hangers there are record holders and “break thru” designs, such as the Harrier Jump jet. You are allowed to get in some of these, I tried a Hunter this time.

Of particular interest to us was an Avro 504 and the TSR2. These represented the range of aircraft that Hazels father worked on in the RAF, from doping canvas wings to Supersonic, that’s some development.

So lots to see and do, plus a bus museum and outdoor car displays as well. We have news that our alternator and spare parts will arrive today, they will be fitted immediately, so hopefully we will be cruising!